Namaskar,
We all know that during Lord Shiva’s historic advent, Sadashiva Himself fought directly with the demons. He was physically fighting side by side His devotees against any and all negative forces. At that time His devotees were primitive in their understanding so they needed Lord Shiva’s direct involvement and guidance. They were not going to be able to understand or follow anything other than Lord’s direct physical involvement to save them from the hands of demons. So Lord Shiva guided them using His physical force.

During Lord Krsna’s time the situation was different. He did not need to fight physically in the Mahabharata. That is why He gave His word that He will not physically fight for either side – Kauravas or Pandavas. Instead Lord Krsna became the charioteer of Arjuna and psychically He guided everything.

In actuality then, the Mahabharata victory was nothing but Lord Krsna’s blessing. It was not the magic nor ferociousness of Arjuna’s bow and arrow. Otherwise after Mahabharata war, how is it that Arjuna was defeated by those simple village folk, ‘Bhiil’ people.

That is why it is understood that the victory of the Mahabharata came by Lord Krsna’s mere presence. That alone was enough to grant victory.

THIS PRESENT ERA:

HIS GRACE ALONE IS ENOUGH

This time Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji has His own unique approach. He wants to teach His disciples that Guru’s physical presence is not needed to establish dharma. To execute the task, His blessing alone is enough. Sadguru’s blessing is all-powerful.

At time of the Mahabharata era, society was comparatively of a lower standard than today. That is why in the Mahabharata, Mahasambhuti Krsna Himself was present during the battle – to encourage and guide the people. But this time – because the overall standard of sadhakas is higher – Baba is teaching His devotees that His grace alone is enough.

Remember, when Arjuna was confused, then Lord Krsna showed him and gave him proof via His vishvarupa (universal form) that even before the Mahabharata war, all the warriors had been killed. It was all done already in the mental sphere; that was Lord Krsna’s will.

So what Lord Krsna thought in His mind, within a few days it took shape on the physical plane. So after taking physical expression, then everyone saw that dharma was established. But in true sense dharma was established as soon as Lord Krsna conceived the thought.

We all know that the Lord comes here on this earth as Mahasambhuti to establish dharma. And establishing dharma does not mean physically fighting with a bow and arrow against demons. Lord Krsna established dharma by virtue of His samkalpa. Hence human beings could see after the Mahabharata how dharma was already established but they needed Lord Krsna’s presence to guide them.

In His causeless grace Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji has established dharma by His mere wish, but this time His physical presence is not needed to guide. His grace is enough.

Accordingly, He has graciously come and given the path in the form of Ananda Marga ideology. By this way everyone has been given the ingredients for how to conduct themselves in day to day life and move ahead fighting against exploitation. So Baba has given the path as well as the inspiration, stamina and dynamism for moving ahead, and when He has showered His grace, then everything is complete. After getting everything set and done, He left this earth. And in the due course we will see the results manifest physically. All along He is still living in each and everyone’s heart eternally.

The whole idea being that Baba has fulfilled His samkalpa, and for that reason dharma is established.

Now the question is: Why is it not visible?

ANALOGY OF BANYAN TREE

If you show someone a tiny seed – i.e. the size of the tip of a needle – and tell then one day it will become a great big banyan tree, then many people will not believe it. They will wonder how it is so. Yet that banyan seed contains within it the potential to grow to that size. Similarly, if you tell someone that Baba has given all the ideological ingredients and showered His grace so dharma is already established – only we are waiting for it to take manifest form, then they may stand there in disbelief. But any sadhaka will easily understand that it is true.

And that is verily what we see unfolding today. In the general society, every day, we see more and more practices and trends that reflect Ananda Marga ideals – everything from the spread of vegetarianism to the elimination of smoking in public buildings and many more aspect of life as well

So now again when we ask the question – why is it not visible – we all know the answer is very straightforward. First, it will take some time to manifest on the physical plane. Second, whatever energy He has given it is our duty to utilise that in manifesting dharma in the physical sphere.

So He has fulfilled His vow of establishing dharma and now all that is left is for us to adhere to His precepts so that vow will become visible for all to see.

Above all because He took samkalpa that is why dharma is already established.

THE LIILA OF MAHASAMBHUTI

Each and every advent of Mahasambhuti has His own style of functioning and completing His samkalpa.

For example, what Lord Shiva did was wholly unique and He executed His divine tasks differently from Lord Krsna and Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. They all have their own unique style and approach. They do not merely copy one another.

The point is that each Mahasambhuti follows His own pattern and system. As human beings, we may may not know the entire planning of how He operates, but we can see certain trends.

HIS ADVENT IS ENOUGH

So no one should worry unnecessarily that the vision of our Marga will never come to fruition. Because what Baba has promised, He always fulfills. When He says that the Lord comes to establish dharma, then when He came in physical form as Mahasambhuti He established dharma. He did not leave anything undone.

“Such a figure or “Mahásambhúti”, infuses dynamism in the social body and accelerates the speed of movement. All the virtuous people in the world respond to his call and rally around him. He creates a polarization in the society: the virtuous versus the wicked. In the clash between the two groups, the virtuous people emerge victorious by dint of their special efforts coupled with the grace of that great personality. His advent itself signifies victory in the war. The mark of victory is sure to be imprinted on the forehead of the virtuous. The brave companions of this Mahásambhúti accompany him from age to age preferring to work with Him than attain their own liberation. They may or may not have great ambitions, they may or may not suffer from superiority or inferiority complexes, but there is no evil element in this world that can defeat these blessed people. Rather, in the last phase of the conflict, the evil forces are bound to accept total defeat. Therefore, to those of you marching forward on the path of virtue, the path of dharma, I say, “Keep marching on safely and without concern.”” (1)

“No one need harbour any doubt that Parama Purus’a exists to promote the well-being of all created beings. If He was not concerned about the welfare of the living unit beings, He would have remained in His unqualified stance forever and would not have manifested Himself as Ta’raka Brahma or Sagun’a Brahma. But He did manifest Himself in this way and has just showed His intention of promoting the well-being of humanity. That is why He has given the assurance:”

“Paritra’n’a’ya …”

“Now what is the necessity for His repeated advent into this world? To ensure human welfare.” (2)

“Utilizing the vibrations created for eternal time by Shrii Shrii A’nandamurtiji through janusparsha and varabhaya mudras, take yourself and the entire universe ahead along the path of all-round welfare. Omn Shanti.” (3)

For those not aware, the banyan tree is one of the biggest trees on the planet – not in terms of height, but in terms of how much space it consumes. The branches grow out and then back down into the earth. In this way the banyan tree spreads across the land. Thus just a little seed manifests into this enormous tree. That is the potentiality of the banyan seed. Likewise when Baba has given the teachings, shown the path, and showered His grace, that means dharma is established. So we are to fulfill our roles with the energy He has given, and watch dharma take physical manifestation.

The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above material. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

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Eating Style

“Follow a system of eating. For example, first eat the bitter items, then the semi-bitter ones, then the sour and finally the sweet things. Sweets come at the end. The entire action of taking the different items is called eating.” (NKS, ’81 Edn, p.157)
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Prabhat Samgiita #2214

“Toma’r pathe jete kuya’sha’ keno a’se a’nkhite…” (P.S. 2214)

Purport:

O’ Parama Purusa, You have blessed me with everything. Then why is it that while following Your path, sometimes frustration and confusions come, thus making everything foggy. It is not easy to see across. Dilemmas arise in the mind as if the future is dark. O’ Divine Entity, please create more and more effulgence so that all the accumulated darkness will vanish.

O’ effulgence Personified, O’ polestar of my life, those who lost their path, please show them the way. Remove their frustration and ignorance and bring them in the right direction. Please grace me so that in Your ideation and in Your dhyana I merge myself in You, by Your grace. Please allow my entire I-feeling to dissolve into You. Without Your grace all this is not possible.

Baba, with the vibration of Your mantra, Your name, please awaken this entire world. And make me Your tool to execute Your task and fulfill Your desire. By that way with proper ideation I should only think that ‘I am involved in executing Your task, I am just a tool in Your hand’. So please go on executing Your task through me. Baba, please bestow Your grace so that I can serve everyone…

This entire posting is composed of 3 parts:(1) Posting: My Notes From Baba’s Museum: Dioramas;
(2) Point of Information: Mosquito: How Gods And Goddesses Are Created;
(3) Prabhat Samgiita #3287;

== MY NOTES FROM BABA’S MUSEUM: DIORAMAS ==

Namaskar,
Most are aware about the magnificent paintings of Lord Shiva and elaborate dioramas of Lord Krsna which Baba has bestowed upon our Ananda Marga society. In particular, this letter focuses on the making and significance of the dioramas depicting Lord Krsna’s life.

Note: For those who may not be aware, dioramas are miniature sculptures that represent an entire scene and this whole artistic yet life-like creation is set inside a glass encasement and put on display.

VARIOUS VISITS TO BABA’S QUARTERS

Like many margiis, by Baba’s divine grace, I got numerous opportunities to visit Madhu Malainca – i.e. Baba’s Quarters in Lake Gardens. On several occasions I was there for gardening projects and other callings etc. While on site at the Baba’s Quarters, there were many things I saw those days – some I understood and some not.

Generally though I did not like to ask any questions. Mostly I thought that, ‘According to His liking Baba will explain or not explain; and whichever way He chooses that will be perfect.’ So like this many of the visits passed by His grace.

HOW THE DIORAMAS WERE MADE

Those dioramas about Lord Krsna are very special and that Baba Himself ordered them to be hand-crafted.

Baba had called & paid the top, expert sculptors, artists, and craftsmen of Kolkata and described to them in great detail how they were to make these dramatic dioramas. Baba gave them very elaborate instructions and monitored their progress up to the very last detail. In that way, under Baba’s meticulous direction, those dioramas were made by the finest artisans of Kolkata. Altogether it was a massive project as there were numerous casings of dioramas – each specially designed and hand-crafted with tremendous attention to detail.

WHY WERE THEY MADE

In brief, we can say that there are two fundamental reasons why the dioramas were made.

First, Baba has used the dioramas to clarify existing misunderstandings. Specifically, the various religions of the world are filled with dogmas which have led to exploitation, suffering, and stagnation. Not only that, such religions have created a plethora of gods and goddesses – that are numerous and contradictory in nature. The common person does not know what to believe. In His many discourses, especially in His books Namah Shivaya Shantaya and Namami Krsnasundaram, as well as in His dioramas etc, Baba has uncovered these myths and given the real history and dharmic meaning. And verily we see that many of the dioramas clarify half-truths and dogmas propagated by certain religious bodies.

Second, Baba made these dioramas because He wants to get His message and teachings to people through various media. Not everyone reads literary essays; not everyone attends dharmic seminars, especially children & young kids. People learn in different ways. The dioramas are an avenue to present dharmic teachings through a visual display. With a relatively quick look, a person can get the basic meaning of what is going on. But to understand it more deeply, study and critical evaluation is needed. If, however, one is already aware of those related teachings, then the dioramas serve as a quick reference and reminder to the key idea. Thus the dioramas are a way to convey knowledge. Actually, such visual presentations create a deeper imprint in one’s memory as people often organise their thoughts and memories with images, not words.

Nowadays, the various news agencies use diverse media: the written word, television, radio, blogs, videos, podcasts etc. By these avenues, they get their message out to a wide audience. Similarly, one of the medias which Baba has chosen for delivering His message is sculpture in the form of these dioramas.

So these are two fundamental reasons why Baba commissioned artists to create these dioramas.

Following is a description of Diorama #4 for everyone’s knowledge and understanding.

THE ELABORATE SCENE DEPICTED IN DIORAMA #4

Diorama #4 is so very dramatic. The scene takes place inside one hall of Krsna’s uncle’s house. Three female attendants and a male guard are standing around completely shocked. And the lady of the house is also present. And they are all astonished by one tremendous event. Because there sprawled out on the middle of the floor is one gigantic demonic female monster. She has huge fangs, long claws, over-sized arms, wild eye balls, dinosaur-like feet, and so many other nasty qualities. And this female demon is quite enraged – on her death bed. She is lying on her back with her chest exposed and there on one of her breasts is the baby Krsna.

By the entire scene one can understand that this is the famous moment which Baba has recounted numerous times where the evil secret agent Putana put poison on her breast in an attempt to kill the baby Krsna. But Krsna being well aware of Putana’s evil ways had to save Himself so He bit into her breast thus making the poison go into Putana’s blood – thereby killing the female spy Putana.

EVIL SCARY MONSTER

So what is the righteous reason behind Baba’s depiction in Diorama #4 where He presents one woman, Putana, as one evil, scary monster.

In reality, Putana was an intelligence agent (undercover spy) so surely she looked like a motherly lady. Because if really Putana looked like a monster then none of Krsna’s family members would have allowed her to go near the tender young baby Krsna. To be effective, spies always must fit in naturally and be able to perfectly play the needed role. As a top-calibre spy, certainly in real life Putana looked like a caring, loving mother etc. In His diorama, Baba designed the image of Putana in a way that clearly reflects her standard of mind and intent.

In each and every art form or media of creative expression, the artist has a special technique for presenting their subject. In literature, a writer can directly state, “Putana was an evil-minded and demonic lady.” And by this way the reader will understand. Similarly, a painter has their special technique – through the use of colours and facial expressions etc – for expressing that Putana was a bad and nasty lady. In that same manner, Baba ordered the sculptor of this diorama employed visual effects to present the idea that Putana was a demonic creature whose sole intention was to murder Lord Krsna. That is why Putana was sculpted with fangs and claws etc. This was Baba’s artistic way of conveying His dharmic message about the demonic-minded Putana.

SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON DHARMA

Here the main point is Baba is teaching everyone where dharma lies. That is the secret behind the presentation of all His dioramas – and certainly diorama #4 as well. Because Baba wants to teach sadhakas the truth that Putana is an evil being and that Krsna was perfectly justified in killing her in self-defense. And the best way to capture this is to present Putana as some demonic character. This art form was used to clearly and graphically portray her mental state and depraved actions.

By this way everyone will understand that Putana is some horrid creature. Otherwise if Putana was displayed in her actual physical appearance, then after seeing the normal figurine of Putana, ordinary people will not be able to understand the nature her deeds. When in fact Putana really was a wretched creature.

“[Putana] took a different path, the negative path – they [Putana and other intelligence personnel] wanted to destroy the very nucleus of the universe, Lord Krs’n’a, the greatest treasure of humanity.” (1)

Thus Putana’s entire character was very black – negative and evil-minded. From start to finish she was dastardly. That was her inner nastiness; she was an enemy of dharma. So to depict her in a befitting way Baba has chosen to apply demoniacal traits to her physical body. And by that way everyone – even children – will reach the dharmic conclusion that Putana was one scary figure who got the negative death that she deserved. By this way no innocent observer will mistakenly sympathize with Putana. Rather all will be pulled forward on the path of dharma; and the enemies of dharma will be exposed naked. That is the beauty of Baba’s dioramas about Lord Krsna. Such clairvoyant depictions put a spotlight on the path of dharma for everyone to follow.

USING CLAWS AND FANGS

By this entire scene Baba is also paving the way for how we are to move ahead. He has created one pathway for us all to follow. Because during His advent He has not at all depicted His own greatness; rather He has explained Lord Krsna and Lord Shiva through His comprehensive books – Namah Shivaya Shantaya & Namami Krsna Sundaram – and by these dioramas etc. But about His own Self and His own life experiences, Baba has not said much. That He has graciously left for us to do. Thus Baba has bestowed that honour on His devotees and He has shown us how to spread the grandeur of Parama Purusa in the right way.

So just as He has done in those dioramas, we should also apply all the artistic, theatrical, and literary talents of the humanity to highlight His greatness and at the same time employ those same talents to reveal the nastiness of those who opposed dharma. So when we present the life history of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji we should honor Him and reveal the sinister intentions those who tried to hurt and defame dharma – such as Indira Gandhi, Jytoi Basu etc. Our writers and artists must depict despotic rulers like Indira Gandhi in the darkest way possible – using claws and fangs etc. By this way it will be perfectly clear to one and all that Indira Gandhi was wretched and negative like Satan. Because those who oppose dharma are enemies of the humanity.

This is the dynamic task which Baba has shown us how to do. And by this way we can glorify dharma and guide the humanity where dharma lies. So on this point – like so many others – we should follow His all-knowing example.

SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE INTELLIGENCE DEPT

Here below is Baba’s dharmic description of this monumental and historical event which ultimately was depicted in Diorama #4. By Baba’s below analysis we can easily understand that Putana was one evil woman.

“Why did the child Krs’n’a kill Putana? She was a member of the intelligence department…Putana was one such female intelligence agent employed by [the demonic] Kansa, king of Mathura… Krs’n’a did not plan to go to them and kill them, but He was obliged to strike back in self-defense when they made an attempt on His life. He could easily have killed Pu’tana’ Ra’ks’asii with his occult powers, but He did not. Putana attempted to suckle Krs’n’a after applying poison to her breast, but Krs’n’a bit her breast sharply, and the poison got into her bloodstream, and she died. Even nucleus of the universe, Lord Krs’n’a, the greatest treasure of humanity. Vraja Krs’n’a had to kill them as a last resort. He did not kill them for the sake of killing, but to counteract their evil tendency to destroy human solidarity.” (2)

Similarly Diorama #4 represents the exact same dharmic idea that the demonic woman Putana who tried to murder the baby Krsna was a completely horrible person. And by depicting her as one enraged demon then everyone can understand that indeed this lady is negative. And that it was needed for Krsna to kill her – because of her bad deeds.

And we A’nanda Ma’rgiis should do the same for Baba by glorifying His divine advent and presenting His nefarious opponents like Indira Gandhi as beastly monsters. Then even simple people can easily recognize the dastardliness of Indira Gandhi as well as understand & appreciate Baba’s greatness and glory.

MERELY THE EXPRESSION OF MEAN PROPENSITIES

“When the movement is towards the sentient force, that is, when the mutative force overpowers the static force and the sentient force overpowers the mutative force, in that case the psychic movement is called psycho-spiritual. This type of movement gives birth to true art and science; whereas that knowledge which creates numerous obstacles and problems for the human society is not at all wisdom, but merely the expression of mean propensities of mind. When nothing great is created, then cheap sentiments emerge for low-grade art, literature, architecture, sculpture.” (3)

PARASITIC WEEDS OF IMMATURE EXPRESSION

“The human mind has two main functions: thinking and recollecting. The human being is predominantly a mental being. So the greatness and excellence of human beings lies in their thinking capacity, intellectual subtlety and brilliance, and wisdom. Human beings, in the process of expressing their creative faculties, externalize the colourful and varied ideas of their psychic world in a variety of ways: on canvas with colours and brushes, in poetry and literature with the strokes of their pens, and in sculpture with the subtle use of hammers and chisels. Their philosophical ideas, their scientific observations and experiments, and the study and analysis of various branches of knowledge are exclusively within the psychic preserve of the human mind, and have been honoured as the golden harvest of the psychic realm. But if there is a lack of pramá in the psychic sphere, then many omissional and commissional mistakes and defects are bound to enter into their art, architecture, literature, philosophy, science and other branches of human knowledge. Dance may lose its rhythm, painting may lack proportion, music may lose the harmony of its melody and rhythm, and in the various branches of literature there may be an overgrowth of the parasitic weeds of immature expression.” (4)

BRINGING THOUGHT OR IDEA INTO THE WORLD OF FORM

IS HIS ARTISTIC SÁDHANÁ

“Sculpture, which are considered to be the subtlest of all the arts, that we find the true expression of the wonderful aesthetic quality of the human mind. In the calm stillness of a painting or sculpture, everything has to be vividly expressed – laughter and tears, hopes and fears, gestures and language. Indeed, painting and sculpture beautifully bridge the gap between the mundane and the supramundane.”
“In painting and sculpture, as in drama, the question of naturalness or unnaturalness arises, and here, too, the same answer holds true: the mode of expression must be chosen to suit the sentiment expressed. In fact, to raise the question of naturalness or unnaturalness in painting is absolutely unfitting. At the time of giving physical expression to his or her mental image, the artist is not bound to reproduce a particular part of the body according to physiological science. Giving form to a thought or idea is what is important; the artist is not a teacher of physiology. Bringing thought or idea into the world of form is his or her artistic sádhaná.” (5)

SCULPTORS SHOULD BE GIVEN FULL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

ARTWORK SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PEOPLE

“Painting and sculpture, the two subtlest art forms, are the most lacking in popular encouragement and sympathy. It may be argued that in countries where idolatry is prevalent, sculptors have been able to preserve their art due to popular support, and the problem of their subsistence is thus being solved without government aid. Is this not, some say, the most significant sign of popular support? I cannot persuade myself, however, that the people of idolatrous countries are connoisseurs and patrons of sculpture. There is no doubt that the people of such countries buy images from the image-makers, but they do this due to the inspiration of their religion and not out of love for art. If love of art were their motivation, then they would certainly not throw those symbols of art into the water after worship. The situation is different where people buy images of metal, wood or stone to permanently establish a deity in their homes; but there, too, the buyer’s intention is not to encourage art. Although they pay some attention to the beauty and sweetness of the image, they do not give a free hand to the sculptor to create it as he or she wishes and the artists’ work remains confined within the boundaries of the religious eulogies to particular gods; they seldom have any opportunity to display their own original ideas. Hence the observation that the people of idolatrous countries patronize art by buying images is not correct – they only help to preserve a particular class of artists.”
“In order to encourage the art of sculpture, sculptors should be given full freedom as artists, or else their creations will be mere made-to-order, commonplace things. These artists should be free to sculpt images of human beings, animals, natural objects and all natural and unnatural events. Then, freely giving shape to new ideas, they will go on producing new gods every day, and the dhyána mantras of the gods will evolve around the products of their art. Then alone will art find its justification. The artists’ creations will not remain confined within the four walls of the temples, but will rather be in close contact with the common people in all spheres of social life. Statues, deities and other creations will attain a place in every field of life – in homes, drawing rooms, clubs, schools, parks, and indeed, everywhere. Sculpture must also be popularized by occasionally holding exhibitions.” (6)

MOULD THE IMAGE OF THE GODDESS AFTER THE IDEAL OF A HARLOT

“Keeping this refrain in mind, they must continue in their relentless effort to fight against the seemingly indomitable might of hundreds and thousands of obstacles which are deeply rooted in age-old superstitions that are firmly entrenched in petty selfishness. Their pens may break into pieces, their brushes may be compelled to draw only lines of water on the canvas, and their histrionic flows may end in mute protests, yet their efforts must continue unceasingly. Each of their petty defeats shall be strung together as pearls in the garland of victory.”
“When for age after age society spins in the murky eddies of evil and vice, when individual and collective knavery masquerades as intelligence, when hypocrisy, bribery and fraud are the yardsticks for measuring the ability to lead – it is then that the genuine followers of Bháratii [the goddess of learning] must struggle on in spite of constant humiliation. Only taunts and insults will be their fate. Those who are afraid of these insults are incapable of offering anything really lasting to humanity. How can people who lack moral strength, under whose feet the soil is not hard and strong, invite anyone in to a cool, refreshing shelter and impart happiness to them? It may be possible to drag oneself through life by sucking the blood of others like social parasites, but this will not bring fulfilment to either sáhityikas or their readers.”
“The artist or sáhityika who assumes the responsibility of leading humanity along the path to light from the caverns of darkness will have to heed the road signs on that path. It is not possible to guide others with mere cheap, superficial knowledge, like a half-baked pandit who reads a half-a-dozen books and then spouts a few mouthfuls of grandiloquence, and who has obtained a doctorate by plagiarizing others’ works. Rather it is necessary for the sáhityika or artist to have a keen and vigorous insight, without which all their endeavours will prove fruitless. Merely juggling words or depicting defects in society will not satisfy the hunger of the human mind – and such creations of art are indeed valueless for social progress as well. One must know the path, and one must also know how to move on it. If those who have not comprehended what the form of society will be, allow the trends of the past that have shaped the present to proceed unchecked, they can never lead society to the path of perfection. They will in fact thrust society into darkness in the name of social reform; they will encourage license in the name of freedom. Instead of modelling a woman after the ideal of a goddess, they will mould the image of the goddess after the ideal of a harlot.”
“Sáhityikas are epoch-makers and so they are the sages and seers of society. They cannot afford to forget their dignified calling even for a moment. They are the messengers of the mute masses, the guardians of society. Their slightest mistake may result in catastrophe, and even a small amount of caution may open up many new possibilities. So a person whose thought and expression is not restrained had better not meddle with the practice of art.” (7)

The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above material. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

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Mosquito: How Gods And Goddesses Are Created

In India, this is the typical way in which gods and goddesses are created. Wherever the masses are not well-educated then they are prone to superstition. And when superstition sprouts these types of gods and goddesses are created to resolve the issues and problems of the common people. This is the typical formula. All such gods and goddesses were created in this way: Durga, Sarasvata, Vishnu, Laksmii, Ram, Ganesh, Hanuman, Kali, Surya, Jagannath, etc.

“In many cases people are devoted to upadevatás out of fear and sometimes they are worshipped in the hopes of obtaining something. Banabibi [The Lady of the Forest] is there to save one from the grasp of the tiger. Besides her, there is Dakśińa Ráya; out of fear of cholera people worship Olái Cańd́ii; out of fear of smallpox they worship Shiitaládevii; out of fear of snakes, Manasá. These are all upadevatás. The women of a household will sometimes worship Lakśmii year-round to bring happiness in the family; Śet́erá as well as Suvacanii is worshipped in the ritual peace ceremony; Śaśt́hii and Niila are worshipped to bring welfare to one’s children; and out of fear of illness Shmashánkálii and Rakśekálii are worshipped. In Sanskrit they are all classified as upadevatás because they are not Parama Puruśa, the object of meditation in the spiritual world. Besides these, there are many other upadevatás such as Mangalacańd́ii, Áshánbibi, Satyapiira, etc. Upadevatás are also called folk [laokik] gods and goddesses. Some of them have dhyána mantras and some do not; some of them also have dhyána mantras in the local or state language and some do not have that either. In many cases the gods and goddesses of the Buddhist and Jain eras came or are coming to be worshipped as upadevatás in the post-Buddhist and post-Jain eras. Those spiritual aspirants who follow the paths of knowledge, action and devotion, of course, do not bow their heads to upadevatás. They practise the sádhaná of the singular Parama Puruśa.”
“Some people call ghosts upadevatás out of excessive fear, that is, they accept them as minor gods and goddesses lest they be angered by being called ghosts. In Sanskrit, however, the word upadevatá is not used to mean “ghost” – for ghosts the word apadevatá is used. Upa means “near” and apa means “just opposite”. Apadevatá means “one whose nature is just opposite to that of a god”.” (Shabda Cayanika-2, Discourse 9)

Here is an excerpt from a recent news article about what is going on in India. At present, in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district, there is an outbreak of malaria and mosquito-related diseases.

“Hundreds of suspected dengue [& malaria] cases have been reported in the district. The health department is yet to wake up. We have sought a shield from the ‘mosquito god’ and tried to appease it by…” (Times of India)

Here is a link to the full newspaper article…
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O’ Parama Purusa, You are the most magnificent One. The tale of Your glory and grandeur is floating and permeating throughout each and every molecule of the vast, blue sky and in the effulgence – everywhere. O’ my Lord, Your story,
the story of the ever-present, Ancient One, is glittering in all the realms: in both bhuloka and duloka – in the physical and spiritual worlds. Baba, You are so gracious.

O’ Ancient, Divine One, You are eternally, ever-new. You are always, intrinsically with everyone – just like their vital force, just like their pra’na. You always remain present in my feeling, ideation, and intuition. For that reason this eternal longing of my heart is for You and You alone.

O’ Parama Purusa Baba, with the flow of effulgence You color my mind, and You are sitting in the depths of my ideation playing Your divine flute in the deep core of my heart. You are so compassionate: You do not neglect or overlook anyone. You graciously goad everyone towards divinity; You show everyone the path which leads to immortality.

Namaskar,
Our kiirtan mantra is highly unique: Each word has its particular and pointed meaning.

Even then, some may wonder about the greater significance of the term ‘kevalam’. Specifically, when Baba has selected only three words to comprise our entire kiirtan mantra, why has the term kevalam been chosen? What value does it have?

As Ananda Margiis, we should have a deep understanding of all Baba has given. Let’s together examine why He has included ‘kevalam’ in our kiirtan mantra, as well as why it is so important.

WHAT THE DOGMATIC RELIGIONS DO

Since their inception, all the dogmatic religions have taken to worshiping multiple personalities. Whether a semitic religion or an eastern one, they all fall prey to this approach.

In Islam, they worship both Allah and the prophet Muhammad. Christianity worships God and their prophet Jesus. And the Jews worship God and their prophet Moses. And then all three recognise the existence of Satan.

So their prayer or worship is not directed toward a single entity. They believe in multiple deities and even recognise the existence an all-powerful evil Satan that operates beyond God’s domain.

Eastern religions like Hinduism have their own set of issues in this regard.

In most Hindu kiirtans, there are at minimum two deities being praised. Those deities may be Radha & Krsna, Laksmii & Visnu, or Siita and Rama. Never is their kiirtan sung for only one god. And in their paintings also, if there is a picture of Krsna then Radha is also depicted.

Plus in typical Hindu puja worship, not just two or three, but dozens of deities are mentioned and worshiped. For instance, in Lord Krsna temples, always a multitude of other deities or idols are present. In Lord Shiva temples, there will always be Ganesh, Karitkeya, Nandi, Bhaerava, Visnu, Laksmii, Kalii, and Parvatii etc. One must offer sweets to all, do sastaunga pranam to all, and / or light incense to honor all.

BABA REJECTS THIS IDEA

However, Baba wholly rejects this notion that one should worship multiple gods or multiple personalities.

In Ananda Vacanamrtam, Baba recounts a humorous story of when He was watching one of His uncles perform puja. His uncle recited a shloka that contained the names of so many gods and goddesses The names were seemingly endless and Baba’s uncle faithfully recited them all. And then at the end of his puja, the uncle said, “If there is any deity whom I have failed to mention, please do not be angry, please accept my humble salutation…”

“A person whom I was very close to, a relative of mine, used to recite the following after taking bath: “Victory to mother Káli, victory, victory to Káli, victory to mother Káli of T́han T́haniá, victory to mother Káli of Dakśińeshvar, victory to Bábá Táraknáth, victory to Bábá Vaidyanath of Deoghar. O, Fathers! None of you should think that I am leaving out someone’s name.” After this he would say, “O, gods and goddesses, please forgive me if I have omitted any name inadvertently. Please assume that I have mentioned your name also.” Does this yield anything at all? One says “victory to mother Káli of Kálighát” and in the same breath one says “victory to mother Káli of T́han T́haniá.” It signifies that the mind is moving both towards Kálighát and T́han T́haniá. Can the mind become concentrated in this way? Certainly not.” (1)

Here Baba is showing us that no one should do puja in this defective manner. Our approach should be singular in nature – not two or three or ten or twenty.

That is why in so many discourses Baba has told the story of the great devotee Hanuman who would only repeat Ram’s name. Others would question Hanuman and ask him why he is not repeating any other name. Then Hanuman replied, “I know Rama and no one else. All other names are meaningless to me.”

Baba uses this story to show us that this is the proper approach. An aspirant should have pointed, singular approach on path of spirituality. The Goal should be singular in nature, otherwise a sadhaka cannot get success.

ONLY ONE…ONLY ONE

That is why in our Ananda Marga there is only one of everything. There is one God, one Guru, one Preceptor. We repeat one Ista Mantra. Sadhakas have one Guru Mantra. In each and every sphere of our practice there is one. That makes our spiritual approach pointed.

Similarly in our Ananda Marga kiirtan there is only one. There is Parama Purusa Baba. And to emphasize this crucial point the term, ‘kevalam’, meaning only, has been used.

Because up till now, every kiirtan and every religious approach has embraced multiple deities. Whether it be god and Jesus or Radha and Krsna, but that bifurcates the mind and leads people astray.

In Ananda Marga, we are blessed with a unique approach that is singular and pointed. To protect the sanctity of our kiirtan, the term ‘kevalam’ has been given to ensure that under no circumstances is there to be more than one. Only the name of Parama Purusa Baba and no other. Only He is our Goal.

PRIESTS HAVE TAINTED TARAKA BRAHMA’S APPROACH IN THE PAST

Lord Krsna graciously told sadhakas to follow Him and on one else. He emphasized that a devotee must not let the mind run in hundreds of directions, nor in even two directions.

But the priests of the day could not manage and it was not long before they instituted the idea of worshiping Radha. And not only that, so many other deities have come alive in the name of worshiping Lord Krsna.

And in Ananda Marga, there were similar problems. Prior to 1970, various so-called devotees were also worshiping Uma Sarkar and crying for her. They were chanting “Maa…Maa” etc.

But this dogma soon got obliterated. In the liila of Parama Purusa, Uma Sarkar took her own route in life and there was no scope for anyone in Ananda Marga to get confused in this regard.

In Ananda Marga, the sanctity and singularity of Ista has been protected and maintained. The term ‘kevalam’ in our kiirtan emphasizes the idea again and again that ours is a singular approach. We only sing, worship, and meditate on His name and no other. Only, Only, Only that is the essence if kevalam, only the name of Baba.

NOT ‘LOVE IS ALL THERE IS’

A final note on this topic is that in certain sectors, some have translated Baba Nam Kevalam as ‘Love is all there is’. But as His disciples we should propagate Baba’s meaning of this mantra.

“And what is Kiirtana? You are teaching your mind, you are teaching your ear, what you are saying with your vocal cord. What is that? To take only His name, and not so many names – London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Santiago… What is the meaning of Kiirtana? “Ba’ba’ Na’ma Kevalam”. “Ba’ba’” means “the Dearest One”. Only the name of the Dearest One, only the name of Parama Purus’a, and not so many names – Helsinki or London or Santiago or Georgetown. (3)

Our kiirtan is unique. It means only the name of Baba. He is the Parama Purusa and we are singing to Him and Him alone. He is the ONLY object of our adoration and ideation.

Whereas the term love has all sorts of vague meanings and mundane insinuations. People commonly say, “I love movies”, “I love ice cream”, “I love my boyfriend”, “I love drinking wine” etc. So when we teach them kiirtan they will use that type of ideation. It happens.

Hence, we should avoid translating Baba Nam Kevalam as ‘Love is all there is’, and instead use Baba’s own description and translation.

THERE IS NO SECOND ENTITY

In our kiirtan we are to take the name of only One Divine Entity, Baba. And that is emphasized by Baba’s special use of the term kevalam, meaning only.

“Within the scope of infinite space, and without the scope of infinite space, He is the Singular entity. So nobody is outside Him. So He is the only goal. He is only Desideratum, and for Him you say, “Ba’ba’ Na’ma Kevalam”. That is, “I am taking the name of that Singular Entity.” (4)

““Kevalam”; only the name of that Noumenal Entity because he is the only Noumenal entity and there is no second Entity. So there is no alternative but to move and dance and sing around Him.” (5)

“The question arises – is the Supreme Entity, the Supreme Faculty, a singular one or a plural one? The question of plurality in the controlling faculty is a knotty one. The rs’i says the important law, the Supreme Controlling Faculty, is a singular one – a singular one. There cannot be any plurality in it. That is, it is singular and shall remain singular forever.” (6)

Namaskar,
Sastaunga Pranam to Baba,
Bharat

***** Prabhat Samgiita #702******

“Tava preran’a’y puspit holo shus’ka marur yato taru…” (PS 702)

Purport:

O’ Parama Purusa, You are the most magnificent One. By Your divine grace, all the trees & vegetation in the dry, dusty maru [1] (desert) have started to bloom and flower. By Your unfathomable grace, the fragrant flower blossoms have transformed the dead and lifeless desert into a golden, colorful, and charming paradise – overflowing with sweetness and full of life. O’ my Lord, You can do anything and everything.

O’ Divine Entiy, You have done the impossible. That which I could never imagine happening and that which still today at this very moment is difficult for me to believe happening, that impossible feat You have done. You have made my broken heart new again – full of love for You. With Your divine compassion You have filled my heart with devotion and propelled me forward on the path of sadhana. It is only Your grace.

O’ Parama Purusa Baba, You are unparalleled. You are the embodiment of everything & You go everywhere. On the one side You are stationary yet at the same time You move very, very fast. Baba, by Your grace with the madhu meru (mountain of sweetness) You stir and vibrate the jyotisamudra (effulgent ocean) [2]. O’ my Lord, You have flooded the spiritual realm with the love and attraction for You.

Baba, by Your grace everything has changed and my sleeping, sunken heart has become full of devotion. Baba, I love You. Your grace is everything…

NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA 702:

[1] Maru: (Literally means desert). In this song the maru or desert metaphorically represents the sadhaka whose heart is completely dry – devoid of any devotion. And the flower blossom represents the sweetness of devotion. So in the above Prabhat Samgiita, the maru or desert has become full of fragrant flowers, i.e. by Baba’s causeless grace the sadhaka’s heart has become full of devotion.

[2] Jyoti Samudra and Madhu Meru: The term ‘jyoti samudra’ liteally means effulgent ocean and the phrase ‘madhu meru’ means the mountain of sweetness. The inner sense is that the jyoti samudra is the spiritual world and the madhu meru is that deep devotional attraction for Him, i.e. madhur bhava (loving relation with Baba in dhyana). Thus in the song when it says that Baba is stirring the jyoti samudra with the madhu meru, it means that Baba has vibrated the entire spiritual sphere to such a height that everything is upsurging with the flow of devotion– by Baba’s divine grace the bhakta is ensconced in madhur bhava, that deeply charming and loving relation with Him.

Namaskar,
One Baba story book – published in Hindi – contains many good stories, yet, unfortunately, also contains some very serious flaws. Here we are going to address one of those critical flaws wherein the writer attributes a false statement to Baba.

Specifically, the writer claims that Baba told the following:

“Animals of the dog group perform shu’nya khumbak [pranayama] while sleeping.” (Note: Shu’nya kumbhaka means keeping the air expelled after exhalation, and not breathing in again.)

More about the “veracity” of this statement is explained below.

First it should be understood that by directly addressing such flaws, the book can be corrected and made better; and, most importantly, Sadguru Baba will be presented in the proper light. Then the publication will be cured of its ills.

As Ananda Margiis, we must examine the veracity of this claim. Because as we know, if an incorrect philosophical tenet is put forth in story form, then the whole society can be led astray. This happened in the past with Mahasmbhuti, i.e. Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna. Such events must not be repeated.

STEPS OF PRANAYAMA

Most senior sadhakas know that a type of pranayama has elements known in Sanskrit as puraka (inhalation), kumbhaka (retention of breath), and recaka (exhalation). Here I am referring to a type pranayama this is potentially very dangerous whereby if not done correctly, one may even die. This is not the pranayama done as the 4th lesson of Ananda Marga sadhana, but rather a different pranayama.

Then there is another aspect of pranayama known as shu’nya kumbhaka, i.e. the act of keeping all the air expelled for a period of time before taking the next inhalation. That is the topic of this letter.

BEWARE – VERY HARMFUL IF DONE WRONGLY

So everyone should know that practicing any type of kumbhaka pranayama without getting the proper guidance from an acarya is very harmful. Baba has delivered a stern warning about this. Because if this practice is done incorrectly then one may puncture their lung and be forced to get emergency medical treatment in the hospital; and, various other physical and psychic problems can arise if this type of pranayama is wrongly done – even death itself. The body and mind can become so adversely affected that the person actually dies. That is why Baba has advised us not to practice any type of kumbhaka pranayama without proper instruction.

You can ask your acarya more about shu’nya kumbhaka; certainly they will warn you about how harmful it is if not done properly.

In contrast, our 4th lesson pranayama is comparatively safe. Though certainly one should practice 4th lesson after taking proper precaution and carefully following the guidelines as told in Caryacarya. Just to reiterate, in our 4th lesson pranayama meditation, there is no aspect of shu’nya kumbhaka or any type of kumbhaka. There is only puraka (inhalation) and recaka (exhalation).

What we need to know here is that shu’nya kumbhaka pranayama means keeping the air out for an extended period, and that the writer claims Baba said dogs do like this when they sleep. As if animals in the dog family just sleep in a state of shu’nya kumbhaka, i.e. they exhale, and keep the air out entirely while they sleep and do not inhale again until after they awaken. This is an outlandish idea. How can a dog do like this. Baba would never tell such a thing.

WHAT ONE FAMILY ACARYA WROTE

Yet on page 131 of his book, “Baba Antarya’mii” (Hindi), one family acarya – Shrii Diip Narayanji – has laid claim that during senior acarya classes Baba stated that dogs do shu’nya khumbak when they are sleeping.

Here is his exact line from acaryaji’s Hindi publication:

“Dog group sote samay shu’nya kumbhaka karte hain.”

The English translation is:

“Animals of dog group perform shu’nya khumbak [pranayama] while sleeping.”

This is the statement acaryaji has attributed to Baba. But how can a dog sleep and do shunya khumbak and not take any air while it sleeps. This is a most erroneous and outlandish claim. Obviously Baba never made such a statement. Clearly, the writer is confused.

Moreover, dogs are unable to practice any form of meditation, let alone shu’nya khumbak pranayama. So this is just a false and bogus claim.

THE BOOK MUST BE FIXED

Now it is the duty of Shrii Diip Narayanji’s son, Randhir ji, to correct this mistake. This is a grave error as it is done in Guru’a name. It should not be in print that animals from the dog family practice shu’nya kumbhaka pranayama. This is a complete misnomer.

Many other aspects of the book are ok, yet there are a number of critical issues.

In particular, when Shrii Diip Narayanji tries to explain Ananda Marga philosophy or wrongly cites Baba, then he goes far from the path. And verily that defeats the whole purpose in writing. The book is meant to serve as a clarification of Ananda Marga ideals, but, at times, the author is steering things in the other direction. His explanations misguide the reader. That is the problem.

We should contact Randhir ji and inform him of the situation. An errata page is needed that corrects the various errors in Ac Diip Narayanji’s book.

ENSURE, EVERY WORD AND EXPRESSION IS

CONSISTENT WITH ANANDA MARGA IDEOLOGY

Since 1990, various Baba story books have been written and many have serious flaws – i.e. poor devotional expression and wrong explanation of Ananda Marga ideology. That does not mean that such books should not be written. Only it means that greater care must be taken before publishing a Baba story book.

It is very important to share draft editions with various senior sadhakas etc to ensure that every word and expression within the book is consistent with Ananda Marga ideology. By having numerous proofreaders ahead of time, it is sure that the final publication will be of a higher standard.

Unfortunately, the way things are going these days, many such publications are wrought with inaccuracies, including the book by Shrii Diip Narayan ji, Baba Antarya’mii.

Following are some of Baba’s divine teaching about pranayama including shu’nya kumbhaka pranayama.

PRANAYAMA AS DESCRIBED IN CARAYACARYA

Here below Baba is describing the pranayama which is the 4th lesson of Ananda Marga sadhana. By reading the following it is evident that there is no component of kumbhaka in this practice. So none should confuse this with that potentially very harmful pranayama that is discussed throughout this letter.

“Closing the eyes, sit in either siddhásana, padmásana or bhojanásana. Do bhútashuddhi. After doing ásana shuddhi, concentrate your mind on the point that the ácárya will fix. Then, after doing cittashuddhi, ideate on the first syllable of your Iśt́a mantra, press and close the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand, and draw in a deep breath through the left nostril. During inhalation, ideate that infinite vital energy is entering the point from the infinite Brahma who is existing all around. After taking a full breath close the left nostril with the middle, ring and little fingers, and, taking the thumb away from the right nostril, slowly let out the air (Ideate that the infinite vital energy is returning from the point to that Infinite Brahma). During exhalation ideate on the remaining syllable of your Iśt́a mantra. When the breath has been fully expelled from the right nostril, inhale as fully as possible again through the right nostril. Afterwards, closing the right nostril with the thumb and removing the fingers, exhale the air through the left nostril. This completes one round.” (Caryacarya – III, Pranayama)

HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR STRENGTH & BECOME STRONG

“Moreover, the process of breathing, depending upon whether the breath is flowing through the right nostril or the left nostril or both nostrils, influences people in various ways. It was Shiva who determined what kind of activity should be performed, depending on which nostril the breath was flowing through, and depending on whether the id́á or piuṋgalá or suśumná channel was active. He set down specific rules and regulations as to when one should undertake physical, psychic or spiritual activities. He further instructed when and in what circumstances one should do ásanas, práńáyáma, dhárańá, dhyána, etc. This science, which Shiva invented and developed, was known as svara shástra or svarodaya [science of breath control]. Prior to Him, the world was not aware of this science. Shiva also gave clear instructions how this science could be applied by people in the practical field of action. In fact, this svara shástra did help the people later to solve many problems in their mundane as well as spiritual lives. When doing a heavy job while breathing normally, a person might have serious difficulties – perhaps one’s limbs might be broken – but in a state of baddha kumbhaka, or púrńa kumbhaka [with the lungs full], one can easily do the same work. While doing some over-strenuous activity in a state of shúnya kumbhaka [with the lungs empty] one might even die.”
“Suppose you are climbing to a high place or lifting a very heavy load. If you do not follow the system of breathing while lifting the load, your hands may become painful or your bones dislocated. If you do the same work in a state of shúnya kumbhaka, you will have great difficulty – you may even collapse. If, on the contrary, you perform any strenuous activity in púrńa kumbhaka, taking a deep breath, you can easily do it. All this comes within the scope of that svaravijiṋána. You might have read in the Rámáyańa that Hanuman, by taking a deep breath, made his body swell and lifted a whole mountain. Although it is a mythological story, it refers to the science of svaravijinána.” (Namaha Shivay Shantaya, Shiva – the Focal Point of Everything (Discourse 3))

DANGEROUS TO PRACTICE

Here is one of the many places where Baba Himself advises that non-sadhakas should not practice pranayama as without the proper training they may harm themselves.

“Práńáyáma is meant for sádhakas – it is better for non-sádhakas not to take the risk of injuring themselves by doing práńáyáma.” (Caryacarya, part 3)

But for sadhakas, 4th lesson pranayama is very important

PAUSE IS NOTHING BUT A STATE OF DEATH

“In the case of respiration also, after human beings inhale, they do not immediately exhale. They retain the breath inside for a while, and then they exhale. Similarly, after exhaling, they do not immediately inhale. They stop for a little while, and then only do they inhale. So in both cases there is a pause for a short while. The first pause, after inhalation, is called púrńa kumbhaka, and the second pause, after exhalation, is called shúnya kumbhaka.” (Subhasita Samgraha – 21, Dhruva and Adhruva)

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GIVEN BY BABA

“Question: What is the meaning of recaka?”

“Answer: Recaka means “emptying”. When one exhales completely and keeps the breath out during the process of breathing, it is called recaka.” (Yoga Psychology, Q & A #14)

“Question: What are the differences among recaka, púraka, and kumbhaka?”

“Answer: At the time of práńáyáma, when one exhales the breath completely, it is called recaka; when one inhales completely, it is called púraka; and when one retains air inside the body, it is called kumbhaka.” (Yoga Psychology, Q & A #15)

REMARKS

If any aspect of this letter is unclear or you have any questions, then please write me.

Also, it should be known that there are a number of other problems with this book; please come forward with other fallacies and inconsistencies that you have found in this book. In brief, to improve this publication the need of the day is to point out any and all places where the book does not match Ananda Marga ideology.

WHAT IS NEEDED TO WRITE A PROPER BABA STORY

It is important for us to consider what is needed to write a proper Baba story. First and foremost one must ensure that the Baba story is itself true. After carefully making this assessment, these following criteria are needed: (a) deep devotion for Baba, (b) pointed understanding of Ananda Marga philosophy, and (c) literary skill.

Of these three characteristics, if one has only devotion and lacks philosophical understanding and lacks writing skills, then sometimes their story will not have philosophical support. And in some cases the stoy may even be dogmatic. And, certainly without literary skill, the story will be rough and jagged and will lack proper expression.

If one has only philosophical understanding and lacks devotion and is shy on writing skills, then their Baba story will be dry and poorly expressed.

And if one only has literary prowess, yet lacks both devotion and philosophical understanding, then that story will like applying cosmetic make-up to a dead person – there will not be any charm. It will be useless and dogmatic. If a person is alive and healthy, then that make-up will have some value, i.e. if one has devotion then that literary skill give devotional flow to the story, but if one does not have devotion then that literary skill is meaningless. What they write will be low-minded and dogmatic. So first one must have devotion and philosophical understanding, then literary talent can add beauty – otherwise not. Writing a story only with one’s literary skill – without proper devotion and devoid of ideological value – is of no use whatsoever.

So if there is proper devotional feeling and ideological understanding, then one’s literary skill will help make that story shine. While if one uses all their literary talent on a story that lacks devotional feeling and philosophical understanding, then that story will be a mess – i.e. useless and poisonous.

Unfortunately, nowadays there are some who fall in this last category. They have the writing skills, yet utterly lack proper devotional feeling and ideological understanding. In that case, the devotional component of the story is ruined or left out entirely, or one will write something contrary to the ideological fundamentals of Ananda Marga.

Best is to cultivate or have all the qualities: (a) requisite devotion, (b) understanding of Ananda Marga philosophy and (c) literary skill. Then one can write a beautiful and loving account that will inspire so many readers across the ages. And again, the first and foremost point is to ensure that the original material – i.e. the Baba story itself – is true and accurate.

Namaskar,
In Him,
Madhava Deva

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Namaskar,
In the jagrti on the day of colour festival, I was there when the margii arrived and I heard him ask Dadaji the question.

Already Dada had told everyone how we would celebrate and what we would do and I could see that the margii was a bit disappointed. He asked the following question.

“Dadaji, today is spring festival. How can we make our offering to Baba during our puja without colours? We need some type of coloured powder or flower. But you have not brought any. Baba will be deprived because we do not have any colour to offer Him. He must be waiting for us as this is the day of the festival. Why is it that you did not supply coloured powder for us?”

Indeed, the margii felt that actual colours (powders, flowers, incense sticks, & even blowing conch shells etc) must be offered to Baba in our puja during colour festival, otherwise Baba would be deprived.

The margii recounted that for years and years always he used coloured powder in his puja on spring festival. He furthermore told that all the margiis he knows do like this as well.

We all watched Dadaji to see how he would respond. Dadaji told that physical colours like powder and flowers are not mandatory during our Guru Puja (offering of colours) in spring festival program.

BABA’S WORDS ABOUT THIS

Below are the quotes and citations which we found from Baba’s guidelines.

In Caryacarya, Baba says the following about the use of coloured powder during puja in our spring festival celebrations.

Baba says, “Then, in the afternoon, all will perform collective Iishvara Prańidhána and Varńárghyadána (using áviir [coloured powder] or flowers of colours of their own choice).” (1)

In that same chapter of Caryacarya Baba further clarifies the matter.

Baba says, “In relation to Guru Pújá, one should remember that both crude and subtle offerings have equal value. Therefore one should not do anything merely for show.” (2)

So here above Baba clarifies that both base (physical) and subtle (psychic) colours could be offered during spring festival. It is not that coloured powders are absolutely mandatory.

Hence no one should be disturbed if actual colours are not used. One may offer physical colours such as flowers or mental colours. No one should blame or harass anyone if someone prefers to only offer mental colours. There should not be any confusion about this.

MORE OF BABA’S TEACHINGS

Here are more of Baba’s teachings on this critical point:

[A] First in Ananda Sutram Baba says that ours is not the path of ritualistic worship wherein we only offer physical objects or engage in prayer etc

3-11. Prárthanárcaná mátraeva bhramamúlam.

[Prayer and ritualistic worship become a source of confusion.]

Purport: It is useless to pray to God for something, for He is sure to give what is necessary. Solicitation or importunity in the name of worship is nothing but toadyism and flattery. (3)

[B] Here below, in these next two quotes, Baba again explains the inner significance of spring festival.

“The inner significance of the Dolyátra of Shrii Krśńa is this: “By surrendering all the colours of my mind to You, I want to become colourless.” This surrender to the Supreme Consciousness propels human beings towards Him. So this colour festival is not merely an outward play; it is purely a psycho-spiritual phenomenon. This very psycho-spiritual phenomenon is operating behind the process of varńárghyadána [offering of colours]: “O Lord, make me colourless so that I may move towards You without any hesitation.”” (4)

“The significance of the Dol Liilá, the Spring Festival, is to surrender all one’s mental colour to Parama Puruśa, and thus free oneself from the bondage of colour.” (5)

GURU PUJA / VARNARGHYADAN / PRATYHARA YOGA ARE ONE AND THE SAME

In colour festival, we offer color to the Supreme Entity, who is in the form of Guru, by doing Guru Puja. Colour Festival then is nothing but the festival of Guru Puja.

Here, in the following paragraphs, colour means bondage, or the attachment of the mind. For example, anything & everything in the world has some sort of vibration, or colour. When attracted, the mind gets dyed with that colour. For instance, if someone is attracted to rasgolla and must eat tht sweet whenever he goes to the market, then the colour of rasgolla will stain his mind.

Likewise, humans get coloured colored by all kinds of colour. So here, colour means a stain on the mind. When the mind is stained, then that mind is in bondage. When mind is not attracted with any color and is just attracted towards Parama Purusa, then the mind is colourless.

That is why in Guru Puja, sadhakas offer their mental colour – all kinds of attractions, weaknesses, and attachments – to the Supreme Entity. If the offering is made with sincerity, that weakness or attachment will fade away, and the mind will become calm, serene, and blissful. That is the very close to the stage of colourlessnes. When the mind is completely coloured then one becomes one with Parama Purusa.

Ultimately,, the unit mind and the Cosmic Mind are the same, only due to one’s mental colour the unit mind is not becoming one with the Cosmic Entity. In order to become one with Him, we celebrate Colour Festival and offer our mental colours to the Divine Entity – Parama Purusa – and try to become one with Him.

“You must bring about a revolutionary change in the flow of your judgment and thought, and see how, after overcoming your fascination with external colour, your mind becomes tinged with the His glorious colour. In Ananda Marga Sadhana, the method of withdrawing the mind from degrading tendencies, and absorbing oneself in the colour of the Great, is called Pratyáhára Yoga (the yoga of withdrawal) or Varńárghyadána (Guru Puja: the offering of colours). All people have a particular attraction for one or another object or activity and as soon as they become attracted to an object, then their minds become coloured with the colour of that object. You can withdraw your mind from the colour of that object and dye yourself in His colour by offering Him the captivating colour of the object that has attracted you: this is the real Pratyáhára Yoga [Guru Puja]. The word Pratyáhára means “to withdraw” – to withdraw the mind from its object.”

“The main object of the Spring Colour Festival (Vasantotsava) is not playing with external colours; it is meant to offer Him the colours of different objects which have dyed the mind. When this practice of offering your own colours – your own attachments, becomes natural and easy, you will then merge in Him. Then you will have no need for any colour, for you will become colourless – you will go beyond the reach of any colour. Your unit-ego will become one with the Cosmic Ego. Whichever way you look you will see only Him in His ever-surging glory. There is no “I” nor “you”. By an everlasting, mutual pact the final curtain will have fallen on all clashes of “I” and “you”. At that stage, if you call Parama Brahma as “I”, you are right in calling Him so; if you call Him as “He”, you are equally right; and if you call Him as “you”, again you are correct. The extent of your attainment of Him will be proportionate to your self surrender.”

“Remember, you have to offer your own identity – not money, rice plantains or other crude objects. The give-and-take of crude things is a business transaction. If you want to attain the bliss of Brahma, you must offer your own self. If you want to have the Great “I”, you must give away your own little “I”. You have to give the full sixteen annas, (the full rupee). Giving fifteen annas and holding back one anna will not do. You must completely surrender. To attain that Infinite One with the help of your mental concentration and strength, you have to surrender yourselves. But, remember self-surrender does not mean suicide. On the contrary, your soul will have its full expression. Your existence will not become contracted, for contraction is inert in principle. Hence in the Sádhaná of self-surrender the ego is expanded, not contracted. In the Mahábhárata, when Duhshásana was pulling the sari of Draopadii, she was tightly holding the cloth to her body with one hand beseeching lord Krśńa with the other. “Oh! My lord, save me!” But the Lord did not then come forward to save her from shame. When Draopadii found no means of escape, she then released her hold on the cloth and appealed to the Lord most piteously with both hands out-stretched, crying, “O Lord, I surrender my all to you. Do what you think is best”. And the Lord immediately rescued her. That is why I say that you will have to dedicate yourselves to His feet wholly and unreservedly. You will earn godliness in proportion to the extent that you surrender yourselves, and finally, after merging that acquired godliness of yours in His Entity, you will attain eternal bliss.” (6)

By His above teaching the point is very clear. Our colour festival is not about coloured powders and flowers per se. Rather Baba guides us that the real import is the psycho-spiritual approach of offering the colours (i.e. attachments and obstacles) of one’s mind.

Here again is the critical line from Baba’s teaching.

Baba says, “The main object of the Spring Colour Festival (Vasantotsava) is not playing with external colours.” (7)

OUR ANANDA MARGA COLOUR FESTIVAL IS UNIQUE

Our Ananda Marga spring / colour festival – vasantaotsava – is highly unique and stands as a dharmic event. It is not a mere replication of the dogmatic Hindu colour festival. Baba has given distinct, dharmic reasons for the practice of our colour festival that makes it independent and different from the Hindu rituals performed in their colour festival.

SUMMARY

By all of Baba’s above teachings, our approach in colour festival is very clear. There should not be any confusion. Those who wish to use physical colours may do so, but they must offer the colours of their mind as well. And those who wish to only offer their mental colours, that is in perfect accordance with Baba’s teachings.

So no one should think that coloured dyes and powders are an absolute requirement for the celebration of our colour festival. On this point there should not be any confusion.

I work in the psych field and everyday there are people that come in from suicide attempts that were not successful. Many attempt because of physical or emotional pains.

I don’t know this Dada that was suicidal but I suspect he is putting on an act if indeed he threatened to do so to get the requested land. That is so non-sensical. Of course, suicide itself seems nonsense to the rational mind. I think he is bluffing. If I am wrong, O.K., but I don’t think so.

Namaskar
Vyasa

The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above material. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

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Health Guideline: Sleeping Related

“Do not sleep on a soft bed.” (Carycarya – 3, Chapter 6, Pt #4)

Note: Baba’s above guideline is key for wellness. Some ignorant people, however, who are unaware about health and hygiene, get swayed by pseudo-culture and use a spring-loaded bed with thick mattresses. But that is very detrimental for the various joints, muscles, & organs of the body; one will also suffer from incurable back pain and problems with the spine. Moreover, sleeping on a soft mattress adversely affects the body’s systems leading to digestive disorders & disease.

Conscious people know that soft beds lead to the onset of many diseases while hard beds massage the body.

So one should be aware. One should not fall in the pseudo-culture approach of using a soft bed and thereby invite more dangerous diseases.

Sincere sadhakas keep away from using a pillow also.

On the spiritual side, Baba guides us that those using a hard bed in day to day life develop a body that is capable for intense psycho-spiritual practice.

Keeping this view, including many more benefits, Baba has graciously introduced this above rule. Those who follow this guideline realise its value.

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Prabhat Samgiita

“A’mi ca’i na’ ei sabhyata’, a’mi ca’i na’ kut’ilata’…” (PS 1341)

Purport:

O’ Lord, my life is for You and Your ideals. I do not want this pseudo-civilization. I do not want hypocrisy and cunningness. I want to float in the open, vast, blue sky – in the boundless open air with the softness of the birds where there are no limitations or boundaries of dogma.

I want more and more effulgence and free air, and the great sky which is studded with stars. I want that very mind which is saturated in divine love and dharma – where there is no presence of the bondages of crookedness, religion, groupism, or narrowness.

I always keep Parama Purusa in my mind and my heart. His blessing and His grace is my everything. By His grace I will go on painting and covering the darkness with the fragrance of sandal paste. Whatever and wherever impurity is there, by His grace it will be removed. This superficial culture and civilization I do not appreciate. I want straightforwardness. I want to lead a life under His shelter…

Namaskar,
During my usual pracara work with my Dit.S. Dada, I visited various remote villages of the district. And in those travels I became surprised to see that long-term, senior margiis were singing Shivagiiti at the time of paincajanya. Not just once did I witness this, but on numerous occasions. Because I got the opportunity to stay in those remote villages. And in those places they are without basic communication – let alone email. So still this dogma of Shivagiiti and paincajanya is going on. Actually they think the two are interlinked. That one cannot happen without the other. And this may not be an isolated case; there may be other places where this is going on. Some of our brothers and sisters may have their own opinion about this – whether it is a dogma or not.

One way to begin is by reviewing the history. Here then is one look into the past to see into the situation.

HISTORY OF SHIVAGIITI IN ANANDA MARGA

What follows is a brief history of how the dogma of singing Shivagiiti got established in AMPS.

As many margiis know, in 1982 Baba graciously gave the book Namah Shivaya Shantaya (NSS). I remember that Baba delivered many of the discourses during general darshan in front of the margiis and acaryas. And other chapters Baba did in straight dictation format privately in His room in Patna directly with Ac Vijayanandji.

One such discourse was ‘Shiva in the Song of Shiva’, discourse #19 of the book Namah Shivaya Shantaya. And that very chapter begins with the Shivagiiti song, “Jaya shubhavajradhara…”, which is actually a song Baba wrote long back in His childhood (See Note A). Because that time on 8 August 1982 when Baba was giving the dictation, He told to all that this Shivagiiti is one song which He composed in His childhood for Shiva. Then and there Baba sang the Shivagiiti song and made the Dadas note it down. As we know now, just over 2 1/2 years later on 28 March 1985 in Kolkata, Baba included this very Shivagiiti song, “Jaya shubhavajradhara shubhra kalevara”, in His Prabhat Samgiita collection as song number 2526.

But 8 August 1982 was the day that Baba first revealed this Shivagiiti song to Ananda Margiis. And that was the time when He was dictating the Namah Shivaya Shantaya book.

HOW SHIVAGIITI GOT ENTWINED WITH PAINCAJANYA

Immediately news spread that Baba has just revealed one song which He has written in His childhood. And everyone was very exuberant. Because those days in August 1982, it was very unusual to have songs which Baba had composed Himself, since Baba had not yet begun His Prabhat Samgiita collection.

We know that Prabhat Samgiita first began on 14 Sep 1982. So original songs composed by Baba were unavailable those days in August 1982. That is why Dadas were encouraging everyone to sing the Shivagiiti bhajan because this was composed by Baba. So all thought that, ‘Okay this is good’. And as there was no existence of Prabhat Samgiita so everyone was feeling comfortable.

Simultaneously that very time in 1982 Baba also introduced the practice of paincajanya into Ananda Marga. And according to Baba’s direction, everyone was supposed to sing a song during this newly given paincajanya program.

So those days in August of 1982 Dadas were vigorously moving all around giving two basic messages:
(1) That Baba has given a new devotional program that is to be done in all Ananda Marga units. And that program is paincajanya. And the singing of a song is compulsory in this program.
(2) That Baba has recently revealed one of His original songs: the Shivagiiti.

In this way many Ananda Margiis mixed up the two matters and developed the fixed idea in their mind that the Shivagiiti song is the song of paincajanya.

THE STARTING OF PRABHAT SAMGIITA

Furthermore, those days Baba used to encourage samaj members to compose their own songs. Many remember how that time Baba used to arrange competitions between one samaj and another samaj on the point of composing and singing their Prout or social or devotional songs. This style of competition went on for few weeks. We should not forget that this was the pre-stage of Prabhat Samgiita planning.

So in 1982 first Baba inspired all the margiis to compose their own songs and when they could not make proper songs, then Baba Himself started giving His own song. And in that way Baba’s fountain of Prabhat Samgiita songs began.

The history is like this: Those days Baba was moving around in Bihar and in the end of August He was in Kolkata. Then after a short tour Baba reached Deoghar. And it was on the historic day of 14 September 1982 in Deoghar, Bihar, that Baba composed His first Prabhat Samgiita, ‘Bandhu he niye calo’.

HOW SHIVAGIITI GOT ENTWINED WITH PAINCAJANYA – PART 2

Here then we should analyse how Shivagiiti got established in the Paincajanya program.

Basically, those margiis who got the message from Dadas about the new paincajanya program before the creation of Prabhat Samgitia, they started using the Shivagiiti song because those days Shivagiiti had just been given publicly. A month later, when Prabhat Samgiita had begun, some units started using Prabhat Samgiita directly in their paincajanya program.

Yet already other units were habituated with using Shivagiiti at paincajanya. In this way singing Shivagiiti at paincajanya had taken root in many Ananda Marga units.

For those who started with Shivagiiti, that tradition continued on for years and years. Today, in some places, it is still going on. But which devotee can think that it should and will continue much longer. Although, philosophically, Lord Shiva, Lord Krsna, and Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji are one, but with the strict adherence to Ista no Ananda Margii should worship or meditate on Lord Krsna or Lord Shiva. And verily, no true devotee of Baba can ideate on any other Divine Entity like Shiva or Krsna.

Reason being that mind is one and at the same time it cannot focus on or be dedicated to two or three different Entities.

DEVOTION TOWARD ISTA ONLY

And here is another way of looking at it.

Everybody is aware that Paincajanya is one very beautiful, dharmic, and devotional program. But linked up with that program is one bulky dogma. Because paincajanya is about oneness with Ista, Baba. So if someone is singing the Shivagiiti in the morning then that goes against the basic devotional approach. Because in that sentient mood of the early morning dawn, we should remember Baba. He is our most loving and closest One. This is the common, sentimental feeling of the heart for every Ananda Margii: That Baba is our nearest and dearest One.

Then why should we wake up in the morning and sing: ‘Lord Shiva, victory is yours, Lord Shiva, victory is yours, Lord Shiva, victory is yours…’

Why should we sing like this when it goes against the basic devotional feeling of the heart. All night we dream about Baba and then in the sweetness of the early dawn we want to sing exclusively for Him, a song related with Baba. Yet the Shivagiiti is something different.

A sadhaka should have devotion for Ista and ideate on Ista in sadhana. For Ananda Margiis, we lovingly call Ista as Baba. Various people have various Istas. Just as Baba has come as Mahasambhuti, Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna also came as Mahasambhuti; yet for Ananda Margiis, only Baba is Ista.

If all your life you have been calling your mother as mom, and then one day your call her by her legal name, she may not even recognise that her own child is calling her. Similarly, we should be very keen to always call our Ista as Baba.

Philosophically speaking, one can make various connections but those cannot stand in the field of devotion. The devotional heart only knows One. For Ananda Margiis, that singular and most loving Entity is Baba. Hence in the devotional mood of the early morning dawn during paincajanya we should only sing songs that are for Him.

STORY OF GREAT MYTHOLOGICAL DEVOTEE HANUMAN

Here is a very significant story that is highly related with this entire matter: Pointed ideation on Ista.

“When Hanuman was asked why he was so insistent on taking the name of Ráma and never taking the name Náráyańa, he promptly replied:

“I know by philosophical analysis that there is no difference between Náráyańa and Rama, and yet I will channelize my mind towards One Entity and not many. For me there is no Náráyańa, there is only Ráma.”

“Likewise for the genuine spiritual aspirants there is only One Entity, and they rush only towards that Supreme One. Their minds move only in one direction, not in a thousand directions.” (1)

In that discourse, Baba’s pointed teaching in this story is that a sadhaka’s devotional feeling must be linked with one Ista – for Ananda Margiis that Ista is Baba Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. For non-margiis it may be Lord Krsna or Lord Shiva. But for Ananda Margiis it is Baba.

Without this idea firmly set in the mind, one cannot reach the Goal. Ananda Margiis should not say, “O Lord Shiva come and grace me” – that will not help, rather hinder. The mind will be bifurcated or trifurcated. Some part of the mind will go to Lord Shiva, and another portion to Lord Krsna, and some portion to Baba. That mind is broken, retarded – it will go nowhere. There is one ista – that is our Guru’s teaching.

An Ananda Margiis should only sing those devotional compositions that point the mind towards Baba; whereas those Prabhat Samgiita compositions about Lord Krsna and Lord Shiva are for the general public. In devotional life, a sadhaka of Ananda Marga is to choose from the many hundreds of songs about Baba and sing only those songs, and not sing or use compositions about Lord Krsna and Lord Shiva during paincajanya etc. That does not mean we should discard those songs about Lord Krsna and Lord Shiva, rather we are to learn them so we can teach to non-margiis. But, in one’s own personal practice and devotional life, a bhakta of Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji (Baba) is to only sing songs about Him. That is the key guideline – and the pointed mandate to follow.

BABA WROTE SHIVAGIITA FOR NON-MARGIIS

So Baba wrote the Shivagiiti song for non-margiis. We margiis are responsible for learning this Shivagiiti song in order to share with those non-margii devotees who have not yet come onto the path of Ananda Marga and are involved in worshipping Lord Shiva etc. So that song is Baba’s gift to those non-margii devotees. In Baba’s divine kingdom no one is left out or forgotten.

IMPORTANCE OF ISTA

Till a little while ago, even in our local unit we were singing the Shivagiiti song during paincajanya. But that practice has since stopped as we realised that when Baba alone is the Ista, then during our collective devotional practices we should sing songs of His glory, and not that of Lord Shiva or Lord Krsna.

“Spiritual aspirants should remember that they will have to become dedicated to their Is’t’a. They will have to establish a relationship of exclusive devotion to Is’t’a. If there is not intense attachment to Is’t’a in one’s heart, then one cannot do anything”. (2)

Here is another of Baba’s key and colorful teachings on this matter.

Baba says, “A person whom I was very close to, a relative of mine, used to recite the following after taking bath: “Victory to mother Káli, victory, victory to Káli, victory to mother Káli of T́han T́haniá, victory to mother Káli of Dakśińeshvar, victory to Bábá Táraknáth, victory to Bábá Vaidyanath of Deoghar. O, Fathers! None of you should think that I am leaving out someone’s name.” After this he would say, “O, gods and goddesses, please forgive me if I have omitted any name inadvertently. Please assume that I have mentioned your name also.” Does this yield anything at all? One says “victory to mother Káli of Kálighát” and in the same breath one says “victory to mother Káli of T́han T́haniá.” It signifies that the mind is moving both towards Kálighát and T́han T́haniá. Can the mind become concentrated in this way? Certainly not.” (3)

So although Baba has given 5,018 Prabhat Samgiita songs, one must have the required viveka to use the songs in the right way. We are only to sing those songs in our devotional practices like paincajanya that focus on Baba, Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji.

ONE-POINTED DEVOTION

If one margii is singing this song – Jaya shubhavajradhara shubhra kalevara (Prabhat Samgiita #2526) – it means you are paying homage to Lord Shiva, requesting Him to “please come in my meditation and come in my dhyana.” But then when you conclude the song and start your actual meditation practice, you are pointing the mind towards your Guru, Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. So that bifurcated approach is not at all good; it will not be helpful.

Why? Because you are addressing both Lord Shiva and Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji; the mind is not at all pointed, rather bifurcated. Yet sadhana can only be done with a pointed mind.

“According to spiritual science the samádhi attained when the entire mind is pin-pointed.” (4)

SICK FATHER AND MEDICINE STORY

Once there was a father who was suffering from a sickness. He called out to his sons, “O’ Tom, Dick, Harry, I need medicine. Please go to the store and bring my medicine.” All three sons listened very sincerely to their father’s request. The eldest son, Tom, immediately thought that the youngest (Harry) will get it. And Harry thought Tom would get it. And Dick thought one of his brothers would get the medicine. Later, in the middle of the night, the father called out to his sons, “O Tom, Dick, Harry, now is the time I need my medicine.” All three sons looked at each other and realised that no one had gotten the medicine. Now all the shops were closed and father’s condition was not good. In short, disaster had struck. And there was nothing to be done in that late hour.

If the father had specifically asked one of his sons to get the medicine, then that son would have done it. Then the problem would have been averted. Asking all three sons at the same time was a mistake. The father learned his lesson.

This same theory holds true in the realm of devotion as well. Worshiping multiple deities is not going to bring the proper outcome. How is one going to be graced with it is divided in multiple directions. The mind must be pointed in one direction. In the field of devotion, the sadhaka must be singular in approach.

In their day-to-day practical manner, the Semitic religions worship not one god but many. Those followers ask boons and grace from numerous godheads. In theory, they may try to deny this and give their own justification; but in their practical life that is what they do. It is quite evident.

Nowadays, most Christians and Muslims are in so-called 3rd world countries. And those believers follow multiple religions plus local gods and goddesses. They are involved in numerous belief systems. One single person might worship Allah, a Christian God, and their own local or native gods / goddesses and ritualistic deities. This is prevalent all around Africa and the Asian nations.

Next is Buddhism which has adopted multiples deities. And the worst is Hinduism where there are countless gods and goddesses.

Those who come into Ananda Marga from such backgrounds often have a hard time understanding that Ista must be one, i.e. singular. Those who come into Ananda Marga at a young age easily understand. Age aside, those with adequate devotion absolutely understand.

Every bhakta in Ananda Marga must be singularly pointed on Ista, and only ideate on Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji. There is no other way.

Note A: HIS CHILDHOOD COMPOSITIONS WERE BROUGHT INTO PRABHAT SAMGIITA

It was not entirely uncommon for Baba to take songs which He wrote in His childhood or during His student life and include them in His Prabhat Samgiita collection. For example, one other such song “Toma’r e asiim apa’r bha’laba’sa’r…” which Baba wrote as a young boy when seeing His grandmother pray to the Lord, and this song Baba later included in HIS Prabhat Samgiita collection as Prabhat Samgiita no. 209. In 1988 DMC Baba revealed this history.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of this entire letter is that the Shivagiiti song should not be sung at the time of paincajanya or for any devotional gathering of Ananda Margiis. For Ananda Margiis, the Ista is Baba, and we should only sing for Him, our most-loving Baba.

Ananda Margiis should not sing those songs that directly address Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna. Those songs give way to this type of expression, “O’ Lord Shiva, O’ Lord Krsna, I salute Thee.” Those songs are not for margiis but for non-margiis. Those singing such songs are not following 16 points – unfortunately. They are remiss in one of the points.

There are many devotional Prabhat Samgiita that are not for Lord Krsna nor Lord Shiva that focus fully on Baba. In total, there are only a few compositions for Lord Krsna and Lord Shiva – other than those few songs, the entirety of the Prabhat Samgiita collection are songs for Baba. And those are the songs we should sing during paincajanya and our devotional programs.

Namaskar,
at His lotus feet,
Satiish

REFERENCES:
1. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life – 11
2. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life
3. 11 April 1979, Kolkata
4. Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 21, Liberation of the Devotee

Nice way to shake up every one. Lots of individuals begin to think, “Yes, I can identify myself with such and such Mahabharata character. Hope at least one person reading this article changes for the better.

Namaskar,
Nagaraja

The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above material. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

“It is only when the human beings, become puffed up with vanity and misuse the power granted to them by Parama Purus’a, that He steals everything from them. Hence, He is called Darpaha’rii – the stealer of vanity…Vain people suffer a similar fate when their vanity is destroyed as the balloon faces when its air is let out. But, does Parama Purus’a snatch away everything from everyone? No, He takes away only when the unit beings try to create obstructions in the flow of His creation.” (Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutsehll – 4, p. 247)

Note: In His above teaching, Baba warns us about the fate of arrogant people. As we know, the ultimate antidote to vanity is developing a devotional link in life and surrendering to the sweet will of Parama Purusa. Then, in that case, extreme arrogance and vanity will not get scope to crop up and ruin one’s personae. Unfortunately, some in our Ananda Marga overlook their devotional practices and instead get wrapped up in their own plans and programs. Such persons can be easily be recognised. With their ego and vanity, they harass and terrorise others, as well as misuse their strength to inflict harm. For their welfare, Parama Purusa pulverizes their ego – He destroys and crushes their feelings of vanity. When their ego is crushed, they learn their lesson. If afterwards they are still alive they become humble and stop terrorizing others. They become proper human beings. That is why one of the names of the Lord is Darpaha’rii – destroyer of vanity.
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Here begins the Prabhat Samgiita

Introduction to PS #2327: In the following song Baba is lovingly guiding one disciple who is confused and totally immersed in materialism.

“Cora’ba’lir pa’r’e keno gar’e ya’o ghar…” – P.S. 2327

Purport:

O’ human being, why are you building your abode on quicksand. Have you not examined the matter carefully. That structure is sinking and shaking dramatically because of its soft foundation.

For so many ages, you have been passing your days in constructing your castle on quicksand. You have invested huge time and energy along with blood, sweat & your own grueling labour to build it. All the while you were indulging in your own dreamland – foolishly thinking that this “thing” will give you permanent satiation – that it will be with you always. You were never ready to admit that this is temporary and ephemeral.

O’ human being, pay heed, any moment a river or landslide will overrun the embankments, even before the quicksand would give way. Your abode is destinted to be destroyed. All the alluring transitory colours and shine would vanish and only the unchangeable would remain…

Note: In the above song quicksand means materialism and castle means building one’s life.

Namaskar,
We all know that when Taraka Brahma manifests Himself on this earth then He comes with a distinct purpose. In particular, Shrii Krsna designed the Mahabharat to teach the society: By this well-planned, historic event, Lord Krsna provided a practical demonstration from which everyone could learn, grow, & prosper.

So indeed the Mahabharat was not an ordinary war but rather a pre-planned event by Lord Krsna Himself in which the characters were assigned particular roles – and they acted accordingly.

“All the characters in the Maha’bha’rata, from beginning to end, were simply puppets on the stage. They were made to dance by the tricks of Lord Krs’n’a alone.” (1)

PURPOSE OF CHARACTERS OF MAHABHARATA

Lord Krsna made each character perform in a given manner. By this design, through each of the central figures of the Mahabharat, Lord Krsna instilled a special lesson for the society. Such is the speciality of the Mahabharat.

For example:

(A) To teach the society that one must not ask anything from Parama Purusa, Lord Krsna made the character – Jayadrath.
(B) To show humanity that teachers must not be unjust and partial towards their students, Lord Krsna created the character – Dronacarya.
(C) To teach society that one must not be a goody-goody who fails to oppose sinners, Shrii Krsna created the character – Bhisma.
(D) And to demonstrate to the society that in the fight between good and evil the good side may also suffer some setbacks yet must persevere, Lord Krsna made the character – Abhimanyu.

Through each of these aforementioned roles, Lord Krsna teaches the do’s & don’ts of life, in the most practical way possible – through a demonstration that everyone could see, feel, and touch.

This is also the case with the character – Karna. Furthermore, what we can learn from Karna’s role is directly related with the present state of affairs in our Ananda Marga.

More specifically, some innocent margiis and wts are following in Karna’s fateful footsteps, in so far that they think they are doing something dharmic and great. But in reality they are being naive & simple.

KARNA’S SPECIAL ROLE

Through Karna, Lord Krsna wanted to show the people that even if one is a devotee and of superlative character, still if one follows the defective approach of simple morality, they will bring destruction and disaster into their life. This is what Lord Krsna wanted to teach to the inhabitants of this earth, long, long ago.

Unfortunately, here we are 3500 years later, and still Lord Krsna’s divine guideline & warning about simple morality has yet to be learned. Still Karna’s defective approach of simple morality is haunting the general society – as well as our own AMPS.

Here is a pointed look at how Lord Krsna designed the role of Karna in the Mahabharat so that His special teaching about simple morality can be understood and assimilated by all.

KARNA & HIS SIMPLE MORALITY

It is well known, that the standard of intellect of the people in that ancient era of the Mahabharat was not so high and that in general the people were innocent and pious. In their heart they were simple moralists.

“So many examples of simple morality can be cited in the age of the Maha’bha’rata. It was taken to be so natural by the people. There was no question of anything written at the time of taking loans, etc. Moreover, literate people were few and far between. The sun and the moon were working as witnesses and people were free in their transactions.” (2)

So in their regular way, the people of that era were inclined towards the ways of simple morality – not spiritual morality. No one was a better example of this than Karna, for he was stellar in all he did.

“Karna attached much importance to simple morality, but lacked in spiritual morality…Karna possessed simple morality, which was static whereas the Pandavas were armed with spiritual morality.” (3)

So Karna was deeply engrossed in simple morality and it was this simple morality which led the well-intentioned Karna into so much trouble, and ultimately led to his fall. Because we all know that due to his strict adherence to simple morality, the pious Karna remained loyal to the wicked Duryodhana, and by this way Karna met his unfortunate fate.

SIMPLE MORALITY VS SPIRITUAL MORALITY

As we know, there is a crystal-clear difference between simple morality and spiritual morality.

“Ultimately it is spiritual morality that wins over simple morality, but common people always commit mistakes on this point. It is never proper to extend support to immoralists. As Bhisma, the grandfather, had accepted the food and drink of the Kaoravas, he continued to support them.”

Here above Baba points out that Bhisma was an adherent of simple morality and for that reason he remained loyal to Duryodhana and followed him into battle – which ultimately led to his downfall and death. If, on the other hand, Bhisma was a man of spiritual morality, he would have warned the sinful Duryodhana of his depraving ways and Bhisma would have either rectified Duryodhana or left his company. But that Bhisma did not do.

In essence, simple morality means blindly supporting “my friends, “my group”, or “my cousin” etc, whether they are doing right or wrong because that person helped me in my dark days. People often feel obliged to those who have helped them and will support that person – whether they do good or bad deeds. This is simple morality.

Spiritual morality is completely dharmic. With spiritual morality, one adheres to the path of righteousness and universal welfare – period. There is no concession; and, there is no scope for remaining loyal to those indulged in selfishness and sin. Rather one will always do for the greater good. Following spiritual morality one will always be victorious.

Unfortunately, throughout his life Karna – and Bhisma too – was the personification of simple morality. As Ananda Margiis, we should never be disposed in this way.

PRESENT-DAY RELEVANCE

At this very moment, a few margiis & wts are following in Karna’s footsteps and doing very similar things to what Karna did. Before recounting the details of the Mahabharat & Karna’s tragic fall, which many of you are already familiar with, let us remember that this is highly related with the ways of some naive margiis & wts. And that will be detailed below.

MORE ABOUT HOW AND WHY KRSNA CREATED KARNA

To begin then, first let us recall that Baba Himself states that except for one flaw, Karna was the top-most person in the entire Mahabharat. That is to say, Karna had more virtue than any of the other heroes, including the Pandavas. He was noble, brave, intelligent, courageous, valiant, plus he was an ardent devotee of Lord Krsna. So, in the entire Mahabharat, Karna was of the best character – second to none. This is Baba’s explicit guideline from His Hindi discourse.

“If anyone searches the entire Mahabharat, they will not find any other person like Karna; he is unparalleled in all respects – except that he has only one flaw.”

This is a transcription about Karna from Baba’s special discourse.

That is the way Lord Krsna planned it. Shrii Krsna wanted to put forth the idea to the society that even though Karna was unparalleled in all respects, yet because of this one defect of following simple morality, Karna lost everything and met his tragic end.

This concept Lord Krsna wanted to teach to all, but not everyone has learned this point. That is why some are suffering still today from this same problem of simple morality. What to say about the general society, this is going on in our Marga.

Here the key point is that none of Karna’s superlative characteristics could save him from the fate of simple morality. That is the special teaching Lord Krsna has given through the role of Karna. So no devotee should ever follow simple morality, otherwise they will face an untimely downfall, just like Karna. Yet in our Ananda Marga we see this very thing happening – on a daily basis.

A CASE STUDY: HOW SIMPLE MORALITY INVITES SIN

The story of the Mahabharat is well known, but for the sake of review it should be said that Karna was the chief ally and loyal friend of the evil-minded Duryodhana. What Duryodhana wanted, Karna did. Because Karna thought that since Duryodhana had befriended him then he (Karna) should do anything and everything to please his Duryodhana – no matter the cost.

A few margiis & wts are following this same approach and by that way they are falling into groupism. Later on more will be said about this.

Here then is that point about Karna.

“He [Karna] was the most trusted friend of the Kaoravas. He has some striking points of similarity with Bhisma; for example, if someone did some service to him, he [Karna] always remained faithful to him. He followed a code of simple morality.” (4)

Tragically then, due to his defective way of simple morality, Karna placed his so-called sacred friendship with the lustful Duryodhana above everything else in life. Karna had every opportunity to know that Duryodhana was wrong & wicked, but even then Karna embraced him and supported him fully – 100%. He could not bring himself to do anything else.

Why was Karna doing like this? Because he was simple and kind-hearted. He was thinking that what he was doing was the right thing. Earlier Duryodhana saved him so the good-natured Karna thought, ‘I should feel gratitude towards Duryodhana and be faithful to him– that is my true dharma’. That is how Karna was thinking in his simple mind and he held steadfast to that belief.

PRESENT DAY SITUATION IN OUR MARGA

Nowadays in our Ananda Marga, similar things are happening. Some simple and naive margiis & wts – in their innocent outlook – they think they are supporting the right person or party etc, but in their confusion they end up supporting dogma or wrong things. So just as Karna had no idea that he was doing anything wrong, same is the case with the margiis.

Karna was strongly feeling that what he believed in was dharmic. And he had the requisite force & strength of mind to follow natural morality. So when Karna gave his word he followed through accordingly. Whatever vow he took, he completed. So Karna was very strong. And with that strength and innocence, he remained ever loyal to Duryodhana.

And similar is the case with various Dadas, Didis, and margiis. They have so many good qualities and they want to do what is right, but in their simplicity they fall into the wrong thing. Just like Karna did.

KARNA WAS A DEVOTEE

Here we should remember that Karna was not just some ordinary person. He was great in many respects; plus, Karna was a devotee of Lord Krsna. And he understood well that Lord Krsna was Taraka Brahma. Proof being that he was repeating Krsna’s name at his fateful end.

“He [Karna] breathed his last with Krs’n’a’s name on his lips.” (5)

So Karna was a great devotee – but even then for the sake of his friendship with the lustful Duryodhana, due to his simple morality, Karna fought against Lord Krsna and the Pandavas. This is the indisputable history.

Such is the vileness of simple morality – it takes a man, even a great man, away from dharma, away from his Ista – away from Parama Purusa.

This is Lord Krsna’s graphic demonstration and divine teaching: Not at any cost should one follow simple morality.

Unfortunately some in our Ananda Marga are doing the same thing and later on we will discuss this point in greater detail – with examples.

KARNA’S DEFECTIVE APPROACH (CONTINUED)

To continue then with the Mahabharata, we can say further that due to his unfortunate approach of simple morality, Karna never even tried to steer Duryodhana away from his anti-social and mean-minded ways. Karna obediently supported Duryodhana from start to finish – all because of his kind-hearted nature, gratitude towards Duryodhana, and strict adherence to simple morality.

“As Bhisma, the grandfather, had accepted the food and drink of the Kaoravas, he continued to support them [Duryodhana and the Kaoravas]. Of course he tried in his own way to change the attitude of Duryodhana, but he didn’t exert pressure on him. Karna did not even try to change Duryodhana’s attitude, much less exert pressure on him.” (6)

So although both Bhiisma and Karna were two tragic victims of the inherently defective ways of simple morality, Karna was the worse of the two as he never even attempted to bring Duryodhana on the proper path. Not once did Karna try to do this. Reason being that he felt that he owed his life to Duryodhana and that it was his dharma to show gratitude towards Duryodhana. And that very gratitude took the shape of Karna remaining 100% loyal to Duryodhana – regardless of what Duryodhana did.

SIMILAR SCENARIOS GOING ON IN AMPS

In various ways, in their kindness and innocence, a few margiis and wts are quite similar to Karna. Please read these following case studies and examples and the judge for yourself.

1. Some margiis & wts feel sentimentally close with those in Tiljala so they think mahaprayan is okay; or others think that because they were born in Bihar so they must support the Bihari faction; or still more think that since they were born in Chattisgarh so they must support another group etc.

2. Then there are others who think that, ‘Since Sarvatmananda rescued me from a difficult situation so I must support whatever he does – that is my dharma’.

3. Still others think that, ‘Since Sarvatmananda is printing some books then I should support him. And even if Sarvatmananda infuses various dogmas it is ok, why should I oppose him’.

4. Some say that, ‘Rudrananda gave me my family acaryaship so then how can I go against him. Rather in the public eye I must speak favourably on his behalf’.

5. Then others recall that, ‘Sarvatmananda gave me my avadhuta diiksa then how can I ever forget that – I must repay him. So what Sarvatmananda is doing is fine’.

6. Plus there are a few who simply think that, ‘This or that Dada, or this or that Didi and I are friends. He stayed at my house many times and we ate food together. Thus I must take his side’.

7. Then there are a few who think, ‘If I oppose any of the various groups then I will lose prestige and I will not be appreciated so I will ignore their wrongdoing for the sake of my prestige.’

8. Still another persons thinks, ‘I want to retire in that MU with Didi Ananda Giita’s group, so how can I oppose what Didiji is doing. I cannot oppose her.”

MORE SCENARIOS GOING ON IN OUR AMPS

Here are more things that some simple and innocent margiis and wts are doing…

7. Some reason that, ‘I got my first overseas posting when so & so was GS, so I cannot go against him’.

8. Then one or two people think that, ‘Rudrananda gave me money to secure my financial situation so I cannot go against him even if he unjustly expels everyone from AMPS.’

9. Others rationalise that, ‘Sarvatmananda helped me arrange my daughter’s marriage, and he will withdraw his support for the marriage if I point him out about the fake Bhukti Pradhan (BP) manual. So I cannot intervene on behalf of the integrity of BP rights. I must stand by Dadaji – that is where my allegiance lies’.

10. Still more think along the lines of Bhisma that, ‘I am old and aged so if I struggle against the rulers they will toss me out of my house and banish me to the jungle. So let them do what they like, what can I do. I cannot go against them because then they will create problems for me’.

11. Then there a few wts who fail to speak out against injustices because they do not want to lose their Master Unit – where they have their own private ashram. So in order to ensure that they do not get transferred from their chosen MU, they became cowardly and sheep-like towards those ruling factional heads.

12. Then one or two margiis or wts just very mildly oppose the ways of groupism – just like Bhisma did. But they are not willing to go beyond that little threshold – they are unwilling to do the needful – for various reasons.

All these above scenarios fall within the confines of simple morality, and this is not good.

To understand more about this let us examine how Baba has critiqued and pointed out the defect of Karna’s stance. Because as we all remember, the sentimental Karna was dedicated and completely loyal to the evil-minded Duryodhana. By studying this then some margiis can also learn what is to be done.

WHAT KARNA SHOULD HAVE DONE

Baba guides us that the kind-hearted Karna should have approached Duryodhana and said:

‘Oh my dear friend Duryodhana. You have been so generous to me. You have given me everything. You have single-handedly resurrected my life and given me a place in this world when all others neglected me. You are my ever faithful friend and companion. For this reason – with all due reverence and respect – I must advise you NOT to pursue your unrighteous ways. That will not be good for you. Please listen to me. You are such a fine King and your reputation will be ever pristine if you adhere to the path of goodness and help others. Please, please I will help you – come with me and abide by dharma’.

This is what Karna should have done, according to Baba.

Similarly those margiis who got favours from groupist Dadas and Didis should show their gratitude by bringing those workers onto the proper path – otherwise they will become just like Karna.

Unfortunately, because Karna got food, shelter, and “friendship” from Duryodhana, Karna became sentimental and in his ways of simple morality he thought that, ‘Since Duryodhana helped me on my bad days, how can I go against him. Rather I must follow whatever he says’.

By this way, the heroic Karna thought he was properly expressing his gratitude towards Karna. When actually he was doing harm and committing sin. Unfortunately a few margiis and wts are falling into this same problem – due to their innocence.

ROBBER EXAMPLE

This whole situation is just like if one robber fed one citizen who had no food, then to show their gratitude that good citizen should not therefore join that robber’s gang and commit various crimes etc. That is not the proper way to express one’s gratitude & thankfulness. Better is to convince that robber that what he is doing is sinful and one should attempt to bring him onto the right path. That will be the real expression of gratitude.

So that is what Karna should have done 3500 years ago and that is what some margiis and wts should do in this present moment.

KARNA’S LAST STAND

But this type of thing Karna did not do: Karna did not try to correct Duryodhana’s sinful behaviour by bringing him to the proper path. Although that would have truly helped Duryodhana, Karna never thought to express his gratitude in that way.

“Although he fought against the Pandavas who were always backed by Krśńa, he breathed his last with Krśńa’s name on his lips. Karna’s was an excellent character, except for one defect: he valued simple morality more than spiritual morality.” (7)

Instead, out of his simplicity and kind-heartedness, Karna adhered to the code of simple morality and remained 100% faithful and utterly subservient to Duryodhana’s negative ways. Due to this defect of simple morality, Karna could not part from his friend nor guide him properly.

In contrast, here Baba guides us that those armed with spiritual morality will always follow the path of righteousness and try to bring others along on that path. And if after trying again and again and still they cannot convince them to adopt the path of righteousness, then at least they themselves must adopt that path.

“Strict adherence to spiritual morality may lead to the parting of friends.” (8)

So Baba says that by following spiritual morality one will always adhere to dharma and that may lead to the parting from their “friend”.

But due to his flaw of simple morality, this much the fateful Karna could not do. And this led to his tragic and unfortunate fall. Everyone knows well what happened to him in the end…

NOW IS THE TIME TO RE-EVALUATE THINGS IN AMPS

Keeping Karna’s entire situation in mind, everyone should take the time to evaluate their own stance.

For example, if one is still supporting the Sarvatmanandas or Rudranandas or Ananda Giitas any groupist ananda, because that Dada or Didi did a favour for you in the past, then one should think twice. And one should express their gratitude and indebtedness by bringing that Dada or Didi onto the proper path. Failing that, at least one should save themselves and come onto the proper path.

None should continue to fall into the hole of groupism etc due to their adherence to simple morality. None should remain faithful to those factional leaders in order to express “gratitude” towards them. None of this will bear any fruit – rather it will bring about one’s fall, just like Karna.

So now is the time everyone should think and review – lest they meet a similarly tragic & unnecessary end.

Namaskar,
in Him,
Pramod

References:
1. Disc on the Mahabharata, p.35
2. Discourses on the Mahabharata, p.46
3. Discourses on the Mahabharata, p.60-61
4. Discourses on the Mahabharata, p.55
5. Discourses on the Mahabharata
6. Discourses on the Mahabharata, p.56
7. Discourses on the Mahabharata
8. Discourses on the Mahabharata, p.56

PS Intro: In the following song, the term ‘parii’ (angel) has been used to denote Parama Purusa Baba. So in Prabhat Samgiita, the term ‘parii’ does not mean some dogmatic religious angel.

“Ghor timire ma’tha’ nat kore bosechilum ekela’…” (P.S. 1946)

Purport:

In the deep cimmerian darkness, with my head hung low in shame and sadness, I was sitting along in an isolated place. One angel came from the golden divine world, extending its wings.

The angel told me, “I am always along with you; you are never alone or helpless– nor in the past were you ever alone. You are unaware that I am the angel of divinity and that I am your eternal companion. I reside
eternally in your mind. So don’t ever be perturbed or get affected by the spell of misery.”

The divine angel further revealed to me that, “Even if you are forgetting me and keeping distance, even if you don’t remember or think about Me, I will never forget you. Lovingly I care for you and fulfill all your needs. Even by mistake I cannot avoid you. I always keep you close to Me.”

In the deep, isolated dark place immersed in avidya maya, with my hanging head I was crying in misery. The angel from the divine world came close and blessed me…